A53 flyover to remain closed as decision yet to be made on fixing broken expansion joint

A broken expansion joint has been confirmed as the cause of issues affecting the A53 flyover at Etruria.

The commuter road, close to Festival Park, has been shut since Tuesday (9 July) over safety concerns.

It remains unclear how long it will be before the road reopens.

A city council spokesman said: “The problem we have identified is that a joint between the concrete and asphalt of the bridge and the steel of the expansion joint has broken in a small area.

“This is not an everyday problem of a simple pothole in an ordinary road. Due to the nature of the flyover’s construction we must ensure that we have identified the full extent of the damage and ideally the cause. This has made it necessary to remove sections of the road surface and examine other areas of the road surface and joints.

"We have consulted with the joint manufacturers and have worked out a method of repair that is being checked by consultant engineers to verify that it meets the required standards.

“We are fully aware of the impact the closure is having and would ask for patience and understanding while the essential work takes place. We have considered reopening one lane of the flyover to traffic, but this is not possible for safety reasons.

"Once we have the repair proposal approved and have acquired a suitably qualified contractor then we will provide updates and a prospective reopening date.”